1 MOTIVATION: To augment your success, it is essential that you really WANT to change! The importance of this cannot be overstressed: You are choosing to make a change in your life — this will require work and energy on your part — it is important that you end up with something that truly holds value to you.2 OLD HABIT: Be willing to let go of what you have considered benefits of the old habit. Write down all of the benefits you have imagined the old habit bring to you. NOW … for each of these imagined benefits, write down at least one other — healthy, constructive, positive — manner to create each benefit. Be creative on this: whatever you have been telling yourself you’ve needed that old habit for is a need that is legitimate for you. Find a beneficial way to create this benefit. Also write this down.3 BENEFITS OF NEW HABIT: Now, write down all the BENEFITS you can think of that you will derive from the New Habit. Be specific … be detailed in this. The purpose of writing down ideas is that it strengths and cements the concepts more firmly in your mind. Read and re-read these whenever you feel your motivation (#1) starting to lag … for a speedy pick-me-up!4 USE YOUR IMAGINATION: Imagine yourself 3 months (90 days) in the future … imagine that, at this time, you have successfully made a HABIT of your New Behavior (the behavior you have targeted to change). Notice any/all blocks that you have had to overcome to reach this level of success.5 RELEASE: and LET GO: Let go of each of the blocks you identified in #4 (above). To do this, bring to mind each obstacle, individually, and imagine each one — like a vapor or a mist — being blown away by the wind. Watch, in your mind, as it disappears totally … before doing the same with the next block. 6 PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE: Diligence and consistency are the keynotes for this step. For the next 90 days, repeatedly practice the New Behavior. Performing the New Behavior will probably seem strange to you at first; this is normal … after all, you are doing something new and doing something new usually feels very strange, at first. Then it will begin to become easier. Finally, it will seem totally natural to you.7 IF YOU “SLIP“: You might find that you get distracted throughout the day and don’t remember to behave according to the New Habit (in other words, without thinking, you “forget” and fall back on the old habit). If this happens, the very moment you realize it — and stay alert to the possibility of such forgetting — stop the old behavior, even mid-act, and immediately begin the New Behavior. It is not a problem that you forget; the important thing is that you notice these “slips” sooner and sooner … and change to the New Behavior immediately thereafter.8 POSITIVE THINKING: Be diligent about keeping your mind on a successful outcome. Compliment your endeavor frequently; remind yourself, “I’m proud of you, (your name), you’re doing a GOOD JOB! Also, frequently — many times each day during your 90 day habit-change period — repeat to yourself, with conviction and certainty: